Rolex Steel Air King with Custom MOP Dial And Diamond Bezel circa 1970's
By Rolex
Located in Long Beach, CA
FACTORY / HOUSE: Rolex Watch Company STYLE / REFERENCE: Air King / Reference 5500-1002 METAL / MATERIAL: Stainless Steel CIRCA / YEAR: 1970's DIMENSIONS / SIZE: Length 39mm X Diamete...
Stainless Steel
Rolex Steel Datejust with Custom Mother of Pearl Dial and Custom Bezel 1960's
By Rolex
Located in Long Beach, CA
FACTORY / HOUSE: Rolex Watch Company STYLE / REFERENCE: Oyster Perpetual Datejust / Reference 1603 METAL / MATERIAL: Stainless Steel CIRCA / YEAR: 1960's DIMENSIONS / SIZE: Length 43...
Stainless Steel
Rolex Steel Air-King with Custom Dial and Custom Diamond Bezel circa 1970's
By Rolex
Located in Long Beach, CA
FACTORY / HOUSE: Rolex Watch Company STYLE / REFERENCE: Air King / Reference 5500 METAL / MATERIAL: Stainless Steel & Diamond & Sapphire Bezel CIRCA / YEAR: 1970's DIMENSIONS / SIZE:...
Stainless Steel
Rolex Oyster Perpetual Datejust 2-Tone With Factory Original Black Dial 1980's
By Rolex
Located in Long Beach, CA
FACTORY / HOUSE: Rolex Watch Company STYLE / REFERENCE: Oyster Perpetual Datejust / Reference 16000 METAL / MATERIAL: Stainless Steel & White Gold CIRCA / YEAR: 1980's DIMENSIONS / S...
Stainless Steel, Gold
Rolex Steel Air King with Custom Made Pink Dial and Diamond Bezel circa, 1970's
By Rolex
Located in Long Beach, CA
FACTORY / HOUSE: Rolex Watch Company STYLE / REFERENCE: Air-King / Reference 5500/1002 METAL / MATERIAL: Stainless Steel CIRCA / YEAR: 1970's DIMENSIONS / SIZE: Length 38mm X Diamete...
Stainless Steel
Rolex Steel Oyster Perpetual Date with Original Steel Blue Dial circa, 1970's
By Rolex
Located in Long Beach, CA
FACTORY / HOUSE: Rolex Watch Company STYLE / REFERENCE: Oyster Perpetual Date / Reference 1500 METAL / MATERIAL: Stainless Steel CIRCA / YEAR: Early 1970's DIMENSIONS / SIZE: Length ...
Stainless Steel
Rolex Steel Air King with Custom Pink Diamond Dial and Diamond Bezel 1970's
By Rolex
Located in Long Beach, CA
FACTORY / HOUSE: Rolex Watch Company STYLE / REFERENCE: Air King / Reference 5500 METAL / MATERIAL: Stainless Steel CIRCA / YEAR: 1970's DIMENSIONS / SIZE: Length 39mm X Diameter 35m...
Stainless Steel
Rolex Stainless Steel Datejust with Navy Blue Dial Carbonized Case circa 1960's
By Rolex
Located in Long Beach, CA
FACTORY / HOUSE: Rolex Watch Company STYLE / REFERENCE: Datejust / Reference 1601 METAL / MATERIAL: Stainless Steel CIRCA / YEAR: 1960's DIMENSIONS / SIZE: Length 44mm "Lug Tip to Lu...
Stainless Steel
Vintage 1971 Rolex Datejust 1601 Two-Tone Champagne Stick Dial Auto 36mm
By Rolex
Located in New York, NY
The Foundational Rolex The Datejust is the watch that defined the modern era for Rolex.
14k Gold, Stainless Steel
Rolex Steel Oyster Perpetual Date Custom Mother of Pearl Diamond Dial and Bezel
By Rolex
Located in Long Beach, CA
FACTORY / HOUSE: Rolex Watch Company STYLE / REFERENCE: Oyster Perpetual Date / Reference 1500 METAL / MATERIAL: Stainless Steel CIRCA / YEAR: 1970's DIMENSIONS / SIZE: Length 42mm x...
Diamond, Stainless Steel
Rolex Two Tone 18Kt Gold and Steel Datejust with Rare Black Dial circa 1970's
By Rolex
Located in Long Beach, CA
FACTORY / HOUSE: Rolex Watch Company STYLE / REFERENCE: Datejust / Reference 16013 METAL / MATERIAL: Two Tone 18Kt Solid Gold CIRCA / YEAR: 1970's DIMENSIONS / SIZE: Length 44mm "Lug...
18k Gold, Stainless Steel
Rolex Steel Air King with Custom Made Pink Dial and Diamond Markers circa 1970's
By Rolex
Located in Long Beach, CA
FACTORY / HOUSE: Rolex Watch Company STYLE / REFERENCE: Air-King / Reference 5500/1002 METAL / MATERIAL: Stainless Steel CIRCA / YEAR: 1970's DIMENSIONS / SIZE: Length 38mm X Diamete...
Stainless Steel
Rolex Stainless Steel and Gold Datejust with Original Factory Gold Dial, 1970's
By Rolex
Located in Long Beach, CA
FACTORY / HOUSE: Rolex Watch Company STYLE / REFERENCE: Oyster Perpetual Datejust / Reference 1601 METAL / MATERIAL: Two-Tone Stainless Steel & 14Kt. Gold CIRCA / YEAR: 1970's DIMENS...
14k Gold, Stainless Steel
Rolex Steel Datejust with Custom Made Mother of Pearl Diamond Dial, 1970's
By Rolex
Located in Long Beach, CA
FACTORY / HOUSE: Rolex Watch Company STYLE / REFERENCE: Oyster Perpetual Datejust / Reference 1601 METAL / MATERIAL: Stainless Steel CIRCA / YEAR: 1970's DIMENSIONS / SIZE: Length 43...
Diamond, Stainless Steel
Rolex Stainless Steel Air King with Custom M.O.P Blue Dial circa 1970's
By Rolex
Located in Long Beach, CA
FACTORY / HOUSE: Rolex Watch Company STYLE / REFERENCE: Air King / Reference 1002 METAL / MATERIAL: Stainless Steel CIRCA / YEAR: 1970's DIMENSIONS / SIZE: Length 39mm "Lug Tip to Lu...
Stainless Steel
Rolex Stainless Steel Air King with Custom M.O.P Gray Dial circa 1980's
By Rolex
Located in Long Beach, CA
FACTORY / HOUSE: Rolex Watch Company STYLE / REFERENCE: Air King / Reference 1002 METAL / MATERIAL: Stainless Steel CIRCA / YEAR: 1980's DIMENSIONS / SIZE: Length 39mm "Lug Tip to Lu...
Stainless Steel
Rolex Stainless Steel Air King with Custom M.O.P Pink Dial circa 1970's
By Rolex
Located in Long Beach, CA
FACTORY / HOUSE: Rolex Watch Company STYLE / REFERENCE: Air King / Reference 1002 METAL / MATERIAL: Stainless Steel CIRCA / YEAR: 1970's DIMENSIONS / SIZE: Length 39mm "Lug Tip to Lu...
Stainless Steel
Rolex Steel Air King with Custom Made Green Dial and Diamond Markers circa 1970s
By Rolex
Located in Long Beach, CA
FACTORY / HOUSE: Rolex Watch Company STYLE / REFERENCE: Air-King / Reference 5500/1002 METAL / MATERIAL: Stainless Steel CIRCA / YEAR: 1970's DIMENSIONS / SIZE: Length 38mm X Diamete...
Stainless Steel
Rolex Stainless Steel Oyster Perpetual Date with Rare White Dial, circa 1980's
By Rolex
Located in Long Beach, CA
FACTORY / HOUSE: Rolex Watch Company STYLE / REFERENCE: Oyster Perpetual Date / Reference 15000 METAL / MATERIAL: Stainless Steel CIRCA / YEAR: Late 1980's DIMENSIONS / SIZE: Length ...
Stainless Steel
Rolex Steel Datejust with Custom Made Mother of Pearl Diamond Dial, Early 1970's
By Rolex
Located in Long Beach, CA
FACTORY / HOUSE: Rolex Watch Company STYLE / REFERENCE: Datejust / Reference 1601 METAL / MATERIAL: Stainless Steel CIRCA / YEAR: 1970's DIMENSIONS / SIZE: Length 44mm x Diameter 36m...
Vintage 1981 Rolex Day-Date 18038 18K Yellow Gold Champagne Dial Auto 36mm
By Rolex
Located in New York, NY
This was a significant technical upgrade that moved the flagship Rolex into the modern era. It retained the classic 36mm solid gold proportions but added a layer of convenience that ...
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Rolex Steel Oyster Perpetual Date With Custom Made Light Green Dial circa 1970's
By Rolex
Located in Long Beach, CA
FACTORY / HOUSE: Rolex Watch Company STYLE / REFERENCE: Oyster Perpetual Date / Reference 1500 METAL / MATERIAL: Stainless Steel CIRCA / YEAR: 1970's DIMENSIONS / SIZE: Length 42mm x...
Stainless Steel
Rolex Two-Tone Datejust with Custom Made Blue Dial and Diamond Markers 1960's
By Rolex
Located in Long Beach, CA
FACTORY / HOUSE: Rolex Watch Company STYLE / REFERENCE: Datejust / Reference 1601 METAL / MATERIAL: Stainless Steel and 14Kt. Solid Gold Bezel CIRCA / YEAR: 1960's DIMENSIONS / SIZE...
Gold, Stainless Steel
Rolex 18 Karat Gold With Diamond Bezel President circa 1980's with Original Box
By Rolex
Located in Long Beach, CA
FACTORY / HOUSE: Rolex Watch Company STYLE / REFERENCE: President / Reference 18000 METAL / MATERIAL: 18Kt. Solid Gold CIRCA / YEAR: 1980's DIMENSIONS / SIZE: 43mm Length X 36mm Diam...
18k Gold
Rolex Steel Oyster Perpetual Date With Custom Made Light Green Dial circa 1970's
By Rolex
Located in Long Beach, CA
FACTORY / HOUSE: Rolex Watch Company STYLE / REFERENCE: Oyster Perpetual Date / Reference 1500 METAL / MATERIAL: Stainless Steel CIRCA / YEAR: 1970's DIMENSIONS / SIZE: Length 42mm x...
Stainless Steel
Rolex Steel Oyster Perpetual Date with Custom Mother of Pearl Diamond Dial 1960s
By Rolex
Located in Long Beach, CA
FACTORY / HOUSE: Rolex Watch Company STYLE / REFERENCE: Oyster Perpetual Date / Reference 1501 METAL / MATERIAL: Stainless Steel CIRCA / YEAR: 1960's DIMENSIONS / SIZE: Length 42mm x...
Diamond, Steel, Stainless Steel
Rolex 14Kt. Solid Gold O.P Date Lady's Watch With Custom Diamond Dial and Bezel
By Rolex
Located in Long Beach, CA
FACTORY / HOUSE: Rolex Watch Company STYLE / REFERENCE: Oyster Perpetual Date / Reference 1503 METAL / MATERIAL: 14kt Solid Gold CIRCA / YEAR: 1972 DIMENSIONS / SIZE: Length 41mm X ...
Gold
Rolex Submariner 116613LB Bluesy Two Tone Steel & 18K Gold Circa Full Set Watch
By Rolex
Located in Miami, FL
Offered as a full set with original box, warranty card, and full bracelet links, this example is presented in 9.5/10 near-mint condition. About the Rolex Submariner 116613LB: The Ro...
Stainless Steel, Gold
Vintage 1987 Rolex Lady Datejust 69173 Two-Tone Silver Sunburst Dial Auto 26mm
By Rolex
Located in New York, NY
The Definitive Ladies' Timepiece The Rolex Datejust is not just a watch, it is the foundational blueprint for the modern luxury timepiece.
Yellow Gold, Stainless Steel
Rolex Steel Air King with Black Finish and Custom Made Dial, circa 1960's
By Rolex
Located in Long Beach, CA
FACTORY / HOUSE: Rolex Watch Company STYLE / REFERENCE: Oyster Perpetual / Reference 1002 METAL / MATERIAL: Stainless Steel CIRCA / YEAR: 1960's DIMENSIONS / SIZE: Length 39mm x Diam...
Stainless Steel
Rolex Steel Oyster Perpetual Date with Custom Made Mother of Pearl Dial, 1970's
By Rolex
Located in Long Beach, CA
FACTORY / HOUSE: Rolex Watch Company STYLE / REFERENCE: Oyster Perpetual Date / Reference 1500 METAL / MATERIAL: Stainless Steel CIRCA / YEAR: 1970's DIMENSIONS / SIZE: Length 42mm ...
Stainless Steel
Rolex Steel Oyster Perpetual Air King Custom M.O.P. Diamond Dial, circa 1970's
By Rolex
Located in Long Beach, CA
FACTORY / HOUSE: Rolex Watch Company STYLE / REFERENCE: Oyster Perpetual Air King / Reference 5500 METAL / MATERIAL: Stainless Steel CIRCA / YEAR: 1970's DIMENSIONS / SIZE: Length 40...
Steel
Rolex Steel Air King with Custom Green Roman Dial And Diamond Bezel ca 1960's
By Rolex
Located in Long Beach, CA
FACTORY / HOUSE: Rolex Watch Company STYLE / REFERENCE: Air King / Reference 5500-1002 METAL / MATERIAL: Stainless Steel CIRCA / YEAR: 1960's DIMENSIONS / SIZE: Length 39m X Diameter...
Stainless Steel
Rolex Steel Air King With Custom Blue Diamond Dial and Diamond Bezel ca 1970's
By Rolex
Located in Long Beach, CA
FACTORY / HOUSE: Rolex Watch Company STYLE / REFERENCE: Air King / Reference 5500 METAL / MATERIAL: Stainless Steel CIRCA / YEAR: 1970's DIMENSIONS / SIZE: Length 39mm X Diameter 35m...
Stainless Steel
Rolex Steel Air King with Custom Green Dial And Custom Diamond Bezel ca 1960's
By Rolex
Located in Long Beach, CA
FACTORY / HOUSE: Rolex Watch Company STYLE / REFERENCE: Air King / Reference 5500 METAL / MATERIAL: Stainless Steel CIRCA / YEAR: 1960's DIMENSIONS / SIZE: Length 39m X Diameter 35m...
Stainless Steel
Rolex Stainless Steel Air King with a Custom Finished Beige Dial Late 1960's
By Rolex
Located in Long Beach, CA
FACTORY / HOUSE: Rolex Watch Company STYLE / REFERENCE: Air King / Reference 5500 / 1002 METAL / MATERIAL: Stainless Steel CIRCA / YEAR: Late 1960's DIMENSIONS / SIZE: Length 38mm x ...
Stainless Steel
Rolex Oyster Perpetual Date With Rare Engine Turned Bezel and Black Dial 1960's
By Rolex
Located in Long Beach, CA
FACTORY / HOUSE: Rolex Watch Company STYLE / REFERENCE: Oyster Perpetual Date / Reference 1501 METAL / MATERIAL: Stainless Steel CIRCA / YEAR: 1960 DIMENSIONS / SIZE: 40mm Length X 3...
Stainless Steel
Rolex Steel Air King with Custom Made Pink Dial and Diamond Bezel circa 1970's
By Rolex
Located in Long Beach, CA
FACTORY / HOUSE: Rolex Watch Company STYLE / REFERENCE: Air-King / Reference 5500/1002 METAL / MATERIAL: Stainless Steel CIRCA / YEAR: 1970's DIMENSIONS / SIZE: Length 38mm X Diamete...
Stainless Steel
Rolex Steel Air King with Custom Made Pink Dial and Diamond Bezel circa, 1970's
By Rolex
Located in Long Beach, CA
FACTORY / HOUSE: Rolex Watch Company STYLE / REFERENCE: Air-King / Reference 5500/1002 METAL / MATERIAL: Stainless Steel CIRCA / YEAR: 1970's DIMENSIONS / SIZE: Length 38mm X Diamete...
Stainless Steel
Rolex Steel Air King with Custom M.O.P Diamond Dial and Diamond Bezel 1980's
By Rolex
Located in Long Beach, CA
FACTORY / HOUSE: Rolex Watch Company STYLE / REFERENCE: Air King / Reference 5500-1002 METAL / MATERIAL: Stainless Steel CIRCA / YEAR: 1980's DIMENSIONS / SIZE: Length 39mm "Lug Tip ...
Stainless Steel
Rolex Steel Air King with Custom Made M.O.P Pink Diamond Dial and Diamond Bezel
By Rolex
Located in Long Beach, CA
FACTORY / HOUSE: Rolex Watch Company STYLE / REFERENCE: Air King / Reference 5500-1002 METAL / MATERIAL: Stainless Steel CIRCA / YEAR: 1970's DIMENSIONS / SIZE: Length 40mm "Lug Tip ...
Stainless Steel
Rolex Steel Oyster Perpetual with Custom M.O.P. Diamond Dial, Early 1960's
By Rolex
Located in Long Beach, CA
FACTORY / HOUSE: Rolex Watch Company STYLE / REFERENCE: Oyster Perpetual Date / Reference 1501 METAL / MATERIAL: Stainless Steel CIRCA / YEAR: Early 1960's DIMENSIONS / SIZE: Length ...
Diamond, Stainless Steel
Rolex Steel Date Model with Rare Black Dial circa, 1960's with Custom Made Bezel
By Rolex
Located in Long Beach, CA
FACTORY / HOUSE: Rolex Watch Company STYLE / REFERENCE: Oyster Perpetual Date / Reference 1500 METAL / MATERIAL: Stainless Steel / Custom Diamond Bezel CIRCA / YEAR: 1960's DIMENSION...
Stainless Steel, Steel
Rolex Steel Air King With Custom Dark Green Dial and Solid Link Bracelet 1970's
By Rolex
Located in Long Beach, CA
FACTORY / HOUSE: Rolex Watch Company STYLE / REFERENCE: Air-King / Reference 5500 / 1002 METAL / MATERIAL: Stainless Steel CIRCA / YEAR: 1970's DIMENSIONS / SIZE: 39mm Length X 34mm ...
Stainless Steel
Vintage 1990 Rolex Day-Date 18238 18K Yellow Gold Blue Dial Automatic 36mm
By Rolex
Located in New York, NY
The Gold Standard With A Modern Engine The Rolex Day-Date has been the definitive statement of prestige for over sixty years, a watch made exclusively in precious metals.
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Rolex Steel Oyster Perpetual Datejust Custom M.O.P. Diamond Dial, Mid 1970's
By Rolex
Located in Long Beach, CA
FACTORY / HOUSE: Rolex Watch Co. STYLE / REFERENCE: Oyster Perpetual Datejust / Reference 1601 METAL / MATERIAL: Stainless Steel CIRCA / YEAR: Mid 1970's DIMENSIONS / SIZE: Length 43...
Diamond, Stainless Steel
$6,080Sale Price|20% Off
Rolex Oyster Precision 6426 14k Gold SS 34mm Mens 1960s Manual Wind RA745
By Rolex
Located in Beverly Hills, CA
A luxurious classic for the modern era, Men's Rolex Oyster Precision hand-wind with 14k solid gold bezel, time tested and ready to be worn, highly versatile, can go from office to af...
Stainless Steel, 14k Gold
Rolex Steel Air King with Custom M.O.P Blue Diamond Dial and Custom Bezel 1970's
By Rolex
Located in Long Beach, CA
FACTORY / HOUSE: Rolex Watch Company STYLE / REFERENCE: Air King / Reference 5500-1002 METAL / MATERIAL: Stainless Steel CIRCA / YEAR: 1970's DIMENSIONS / SIZE: Length 39mm "Lug Tip ...
Stainless Steel
Rolex Stainless Steel Air King with Custom Made Green Dial from 1960's and 70's
By Rolex
Located in Long Beach, CA
FACTORY / HOUSE: Rolex Watch Company STYLE / REFERENCE: Air King / Reference 5500 METAL / MATERIAL: Stainless Steel CIRCA / YEAR: 1960's/1970's DIMENSIONS / SIZE: Length 40mm X Diame...
$6,064Sale Price|20% Off
Rolex Ref 6426 Oyster Precision 14k Gold SS 34mm Mens 1960s Manual Wind RA745B
By Rolex
Located in Beverly Hills, CA
Vintage elegance for the modern era, Men's Rolex Oyster Precision hand-wind with 14k solid gold bezel, time tested and ready to be worn, style and elegance, the perfect timepiece to ...
14k Gold, Stainless Steel
Rolex Steel O.P Date With Custom Made M.O.P Dial and Diamond Bezel circa 1960's
By Rolex
Located in Long Beach, CA
FACTORY / HOUSE: Rolex Watch Company STYLE / REFERENCE: Oyster Perpetual Date / Reference 1500 METAL / MATERIAL: Stainless Steel CIRCA / YEAR: 1960's DIMENSIONS / SIZE: Length 42mm X...
Stainless Steel
Rolex Steel O.P Date With Custom Made M.O.P Dial and Diamond Bezel circa 1970's
By Rolex
Located in Long Beach, CA
FACTORY / HOUSE: Rolex Watch Company STYLE / REFERENCE: Oyster Perpetual Date / Reference 1500 METAL / MATERIAL: Stainless Steel CIRCA / YEAR: 1970's DIMENSIONS / SIZE: Length 42mm X...
Stainless Steel
Rolex Steel O.P Date With Custom Made M.O.P Dial and Diamond Bezel circa 1970's
By Rolex
Located in Long Beach, CA
FACTORY / HOUSE: Rolex Watch Company STYLE / REFERENCE: Oyster Perpetual Date / Reference 1500 METAL / MATERIAL: Stainless Steel CIRCA / YEAR: 1970's DIMENSIONS / SIZE: Length 42mm X...
Stainless Steel
Tudor 25mm Princess OysterDate Self Winding Automatic with Jubilee Bracelet
By Rolex
Located in Miami, FL
Rolex for Tudor 92400 Princess OysterDate stainless steel 25mm women's wristwatch with all original parts and excellent condition. Complete with original box, papers, and warranty ca...
Stainless Steel
Rolex Submariner – Swiss Original Vintage Poster
By Celestino Piatti 1
Located in Zurich, CH
Original Poster promoting Rolex' Submariner, reference 1680, created by Celestino Piatti, a very productive Swiss Graphic Designer (1922-2007) known for his charm and subtle humor, p...
Paper
Tulip Stool by Saarinen/Knoll for the Rolex Geneva HQ
By Eero Saarinen, Knoll
Located in Renens, CH
Knoll Tulip stool designed by Eero Saarinen and produced by Knoll in Switzerland during the 1970s. Re-upholstered in high-quality leather. These stools (we have two more with their ...
Metal
Rolex Daytona 50x40 6263 Paul Newman Photomosaic Photography Fine Art Unsigned
By Destro
Located in Los Angeles, CA
"Newman" is an acrylic photomosaic artwork by Destro. The first release in a series mosaic works called "Icons". Destro has created large prints which are made up of many hundreds o...
Archival Pigment
Rolex Daytona 60x45 6263 Paul Newman Photomosaic Photography Fine Art Unsigned
By Destro
Located in Los Angeles, CA
"Newman" is an acrylic photomosaic artwork by Destro. The first release in a series mosaic works called "Icons". Destro has created large prints which are made up of many hundreds o...
Archival Pigment
Rolex Daytona 50x40 6263 Paul Newman Photomosaic Photography Fine Art
By Destro
Located in Los Angeles, CA
"Newman" is an acrylic photomosaic artwork by Destro. The first release in a series mosaic works called "Icons". Destro has created large prints which are made up of many hundreds o...
Archival Pigment
Rolex Daytona 50x40 6263 Paul Newman Photomosaic Photography Fine Art Unsigned
By Destro
Located in Los Angeles, CA
"Newman" is an acrylic photomosaic artwork by Destro. The first release in a series mosaic works called "Icons". Destro has created large prints which are made up of many hundreds o...
Archival Pigment
While the rise in popularity of vintage Rolex watches is of no surprise to aficionados, collectors and industry experts, when it comes to contemporary luxury wristwatches, Rolex is also often the first brand that springs to mind. Not only is the company revered for its precision timekeeping and impeccable craftsmanship, but its name was designed to be memorable.
Rolex's enviable worldwide recognition can be credited in part to the genius of company founder Hans Wilsdorf. When the German-born watch dealer and his brother-in-law, Alfred Davis, set up their London enterprise, in 1905, they called it Wilsdorf & Davis, according to the traditional formula.
But Wilsdorf was determined to come up with another name that was short, would look good on a watch dial and was easy to say and remember in several languages. In 1908, he trademarked the name Rolex, and by 1920, he had moved the company to Geneva and redubbed it as Montres Rolex S.A.
But the main reasons for the brand’s success are its aforementioned commitment to precision and unflagging pursuit of innovation. In 1926, the company introduced the aptly named Oyster model. With a screw-down crown and case back, both fitted with rubber gaskets, this was the first truly waterproof watch.
Five years later, Rolex upped the ante with the Oyster Perpetual. That model’s patented Perpetual movement contained a rotor mechanism enabling it to self-wind. In another trendsetting move, in 1945, the brand debuted the Datejust, with a date window prominently displayed on the dial.
The company’s two most iconic models are sports watches. Although the Submariner, which debuted in 1953, was developed as a dive watch, its waterproof case, solid construction and good looks made it a favorite of adventurers and urbanites alike, including James Bond, who wore it in classics like Dr. No and Goldfinger. The Daytona, the racing chronograph made famous by Paul Newman, is especially sought after by collectors. Newman’s personal Daytona, which hit the auction block in 2017, sold for $17.8 million.
Find vintage Rolex watches, bracelets and more on 1stDibs.
Rooted in centuries of history of adornment dating back to the ancient world, modern jewelry reimagines traditional techniques, forms and materials for expressive new pieces. As opposed to contemporary jewelry, which responds to the moment in which it was created, modern jewelry often describes designs from the 20th to 21st centuries that reflect movements and trends in visual culture.
Modern jewelry emerged from the 19th-century shift away from jewelry indicating rank or social status. The Industrial Revolution allowed machine-made jewelry using electric gold plating, metal alloys and imitation stones, making beautiful jewelry widely accessible. Although mass production deemphasized the materials of the jewelry, the vision of the designer remained important, something that would be furthered in the 1960s with what’s known as the “critique of preciousness.”
A design fair called the “Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes” brought global attention to the Art Deco style in 1925 and gathered a mix of jewelry artists alongside master jewelers like Van Cleef & Arpels, Mauboussin and Boucheron. Art Deco designs from Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels unconventionally mixed gemstones like placing rock crystals next to diamonds while borrowing motifs from eclectic sources including Asian lacquer and Persian carpets. Among Cartier’s foremost design preoccupations at the time were high-contrast color combinations and crisp, geometric forms and patterns. In the early 20th century, modernist jewelers like Margaret De Patta and artists such as Alexander Calder — who is better known for his kinetic sculptures than his provocative jewelry — explored sculptural metalwork in which geometric shapes and lines were preferred over elaborate ornamentation.
Many of the innovations in modern jewelry were propelled by women designers such as Wendy Ramshaw, who used paper to craft her accessories in the 1960s. During the 1970s, Elsa Peretti created day-to-night pieces for Tiffany & Co. while designers like Lea Stein experimented with layering plastic, a material that had been employed in jewelry since the mid-19th century and had expanded into Bakelite, acrylics and other unique materials.
Find a collection of modern watches, bracelets, engagement rings, necklaces, earrings and other jewelry on 1stDibs.
Antique, vintage and luxury wristwatches have captured the hearts and minds of all manner of watch collectors as well as the watchmakers themselves — it's time you found your own.
Certain vintage watches for men and iconic watch designs for women are sought after not only because of their graceful proportions or innovative materials but also because of the illustrious histories of the houses that created them, histories that they stylishly embody.
Bulgari’s legendary Serpenti watch was on everyone’s list after the collection’s bold bracelet, which technically debuted after the timepiece, graced the wrist of actress Elizabeth Taylor. If anything, elaborately crafted timepieces — the unmistakably boxy silhouette of Cartier Tank watches, the elegant and minimal Calatrava designed by legendary Swiss house Patek Philippe — are even more effective than the shape we associate with traditional wristwatches.
Form watches — the all-encompassing moniker bestowed upon non-round watches — are making headlines and completing contemporary fashionable ensembles the world over. At the same time, both casual fans and careful collectors are drawn to the unbeatable charm of vintage styles, such as the icons designed by Omega that even James Bond can’t resist.
In the early days of watchmaking, watches were fragile enough that they necessitated protection from the elements. Now, wristwatches made of gold and steel can withstand the harshest climates — even 100 meters underwater, in the case of Rolex’s Submariner. Designer Gérald Genta, whose range of clients included Rolex, created for Audemars Piguet the first luxury sports timepiece to be made from stainless steel. First introduced in 1972, the Royal Oak was a perfect choice for blending the form and function that are now synonymous with sports watches.
Are you shopping for a wristwatch? It’s good to keep your needs as well as your specific personal style in mind: A smaller, subtle timepiece is a good fit for small wrists. When will you be wearing your new accessory? There’s a versatile model out there for everyday wear, while a rugged, feature-heavy watch is a safe bet if you’re prone to embarking on all-weather activities in the great outdoors.
Find antique, vintage and luxury wristwatches for sale on 1stDibs.